When the bridge was completed, in the summer of 1928, it was hailed as "The Gateway to the Ozarks." It provided an invaluable and vital link between Missouri and Illinois. A small, restored portal of the old bridge is all that remains. At the overlook, there is a viewing scope that provides a commanding view of the Mississippi River. There is access to the River Campus Trail, which provides a leisurely walkway along these historic grounds, bordering the river. Interpretive signage is scattered along the trail. A new bridge, The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, opened in December, 2003 to replace the bridge of 1928.